Moving to Greece from Norway

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Norway to Greece? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Norway to Greece, you would find that Greece is 23.1% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK733,695 salary in Norway would need to be roughly €46,935 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°F vs 49°F in Oslo, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Norway and Greece.

What does your salary buy?

NOK733,695 €46,935

To maintain the same standard of living in Greece

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 41.0% less

Groceries

pay 30.6% less

Transportation

pay 22.1% less

Housing

pay 34.5% less

Childcare

pay 15.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 35.1% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 NOK = 0.0895 EUR (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Greece cost about 31% less than cities in Norway.

Norway

Oslo 73%
Haugesund 64%

Greece

Corfu 46%
Kavala 40%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Norway to Greece.

Living there in 2020
525 ↑ 2% vs 2015

people born in Norway live in Greece · UN DESA

Who's moving to Greece?

Top countries of origin for Greece's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Greece compared to Norway.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

NO
0.6
GR
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NO
1.5
GR
7.3

Norway performs better than Greece across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

NO
$9,523
GR
$3,454
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

NO
51.7
GR
63.7

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

NO
8.0
GR
23.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NO
7.2t
GR
5.0t

Norway generally does better on environment, though Greece leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NO
45.9
GR
43.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NO
2.0%
GR
20.7%

Norway performs better than Greece across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

NO
3.6%
GR
11.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

NO
$90,500
GR
$36,300

Norway performs better than Greece across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

NO
82.5 yrs
GR
81.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NO
2.3
GR
3.5

Norway performs better than Greece across all family life metrics.

Data: Norwegian Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Oslo Rain: 30.0 in/yr (763 mm)
49° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Athens Rain: 16.3 in/yr (414 mm)
72° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Oslo Athens
Jan–Mar 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) 57°/42°F (14°/6°C)
Apr–Jun 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) 78°/57°F (26°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) 90°/67°F (32°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) 65°/50°F (18°/10°C)
View all months
Month Oslo Athens
Jan 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C)
Feb 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C)
Mar 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C)
Apr 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C)
May 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C)
Jun 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C)
Aug 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C)
Sep 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C)
Oct 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C)
Nov 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C)
Dec 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C)

Data: Norwegian Meteorological Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Hellenic National Meteorological Service Hellenic National Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.

Norway passport

Norway passport holder visiting Greece

Visa Free
Norway passport holders can enter Greece without a visa.
Greece passport

Greece passport holder visiting Norway

Visa Free
Greece passport holders can enter Norway without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Greece than Norway?

On average Greece is about 29% less expensive than Norway, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Greece?

Budget about €11,734 for 3 months in Greece (based on a NOK733,695 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Greece?

Connectivity is usually fine (Greece: 43.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Greece offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Greece safe for expats?

Norway performs better than Greece across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Greece is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Norway.

How is healthcare in Greece compared to Norway?

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in health coverage index. There are 63.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 51.7 in Norway. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).

What's the weather like in Greece compared to Norway?

The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.

What language do they speak in Greece?

The official language in Greece is Greek. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.

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At a Glance

NO GR
Population 5,553,840 10,533,871
Currency Norwegian Krone (NOK) Euro (€)
Languages Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami Greek
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +47 +30
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112